


The Unknown Factor

by abstract_moth



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Angst, Drama, Espionage, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Mystery, POV Multiple, POV Original Character, POV Outsider, Parental Riza Hawkeye, Parental Roy Mustang, Protective Roy Mustang, Spies & Secret Agents, Undercover, Undercover Missions, minor swears bc Ed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29754768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abstract_moth/pseuds/abstract_moth
Summary: After a resistance group in the northeast is linked to various crimes, Colonel Mustang Hawkeye, Ed, and (to everyone’s surprise) a mysterious soldier named Logan Reed are sent undercover to investigate. As the mission progresses, the team is faced with a stream of endless threats and questions. Who is Logan Reed? What is his connection with the northeastern border? And why does Ed seem apprehensive about this entire mission?However this man, who lives in Lieutenant Reed's apartment, receives Lieutenant Reed's paychecks, and who wears Lieutenant Reed's uniform, is not the real Lieutenant Reed. The real Lieutenant Reed is decomposing at the bottom of a lake, if there is anything left of him to decompose at all.
Relationships: Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Implied Royai, Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang, well technically all of fma is implied royai so
Kudos: 8





	The Unknown Factor

Early morning in East City, it is a peaceful day. A man in a blue military uniform is walking up the steps of Eastern Command. According to the Amestrian military this man's name is Lieutenant Logan Reed. He transferred here from West City two years ago.

However this man, who lives in Lieutenant Reed's apartment, receives Lieutenant Reed's paychecks, and who wears Lieutenant Reed's uniform, is not the real Lieutenant Reed. The real Lieutenant Reed is decomposing at the bottom of a lake, if there is anything left of him to decompose at all.

This man, who the military assumes to be Lieutenant Reed, does have a real name. However it doesn't matter at this point.

What does matter is that Lieutenant Reed was very nervous. As any man would be in his situation. He was heading to a mission briefing and a very important mission at that. It is the military's procedure that officers will not be briefed on high-level missions until three days before they start. So Reed had no idea what he was walking into; and as usual his paranoia was going through the roof.

_'They know. It's all because of the Parktown Incident two months ago. This is the end. They are going to kill you'_

He took even breaths in an attempt to silence his racing mind. Reasonably, he knew nothing bad would happen. He would simply walk into Colonel Mustang's office and be briefed on his mission. The worst thing that could happen is him tripping over his shoes and making a fool of himself.

He had met Mustang twice since arriving in East City. The first time was when he had just arrived, and once again two months ago. The Colonel was the kind of man who took all the authority in the room and seized it for himself; who remained calm and collected with the mission always in mind. Reed had always found himself standing straighter whenever they had crossed paths.

He paused for a moment outside the office door and reassured himself once more that nothing bad was going to happen.

It still didn't shake the feeling.

He was one of the last to arrive. Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda, Falman, and Fuery were seated quietly on the couches. Colonel Mustang was at his desk. He was going over a few papers.

Reed stood at attention.

"Colonel Mustang," he saluted. "Lieutenant Reed, reporting as ordered."

"At ease, Lieutenant," Colonel Mustang said. He had just barely glanced up. "Take a seat, this meeting isn't going to start for a little while longer."

Reed sat down next to Fuery.

"May I ask why?" he inquired.

"A certain member of my team hasn't arrived yet," Mustang said passively. He looked up. "I believe we've met before."

"Yes, sir. You debriefed me after the Parktown incident."

"That's right. Excellent work you did on that case."

"Thank you, sir." Reed had begun to say something else when the door was suddenly kicked in. Oddly enough he was the only one who flinched. Everyone else just let out a quiet sigh. Except Mustang, whose lips had spread into a smirk.

"Well, well, Fullmetal," Mustang said. "About time you showed up."

Reed felt his heart rate speed up and allowed himself to look at the door.

_'Yes, that was definitely the Fullmetal Alchemist'_

Reed had never officially met him, but one couldn't walk through Eastern Command without hearing things. There was a lot he still didn't know about the young alchemist. However, this time, he found his eyes shifting to the alchemist's brother and wondered how two people so drastically different in height could be related to each other. Oh well, that was genetics.

"Whatever, I'm here now," the young alchemist spat.

"You should be more punctual. Or else you'll leave us _short_ on time," Mustang said.

Mustang's men braced themselves, as if expecting a loud outburst. However, the young alchemist simply growled at the Colonel's remark. He plopped himself down on the nearest couch and rested his feet on the table.

"I'm not in the mood, Mustang," he spat. "Now what do you want?" he spat.

Mustang frowned, studying the boy before him. Reed wondered if the alchemist would be reprimanded.

However, the Colonel just shifted the papers on his desk.

"Before we get started I just want to remind you all that this is a top priority mission. Leaking any of the information presented will be met with an immediate court martial." They all nodded. "Well then, I'm sure you are all aware of the resistance group operating in the northeast. They call themselves the White Wolves." Reed took a sharp intake of breath. Luckily, no one had noticed. Everyone's gaze had wandered over to the Fullmetal Alchemist. Ed did not seem to notice, his eyes fixated on Mustang.

Reed wondered what he was missing out on.

"Wasn't that the group that set fire to some military warehouses a few months back?" Havoc said, easing the tension.

"You are correct," Mustang said, keeping Ed's gaze. "The group has mainly been conducting small raids and attacks on military personnel. In the past few months, they have been steadily growing in numbers. Since then their actions have escalated." Mustang paused. "Two weeks ago, they destroyed the Ukon train station."

Everyone exchanged looks.

The Ukon train station was the end of the line for those heading northeast. For a resistance group to do something so rash.

Mustang continued. "Understandably, this requires the military's immediate response. However, we have little knowledge of the group-"

"And the military wants us to find out more," Edward said, finishing the Colonel's sentence.

"Yes," Mustang said. "Now Fullmetal, since you have recently been in the northeast area and have previously encountered this group. Therefore you have been assigned to this mission-"

"Fine," Ed interrupted. "Just give me what information you have on the group and I'll be back in a week."

"You didn't let me finish my sentence." Mustang said, gritting his teeth. "As I was saying, you will be going on this mission along with Lieutenant Reed, Lieutenant Hawkeye, and _I_." Mustang said.

The entire room went silent. Reed noticed that Falman had begun to inspect his nails and Fuery was staring at the floor.

"And just what does a bastard like you have to gain from this?" Ed asked.

"Don't flatter yourself, Fullmetal. You do not have adequate experience with covert missions. I'll just be there to make sure you don't screw up," Mustang said.

Reed doubted that was the whole truth. High level officers didn't go on grunt work intelligence missions. Was it possible the military knew the truth about the northeast border?

Fullmetal didn't seem to buy it either.

"And this has nothing to do with what happened three weeks ago?" Ed asked. Alphonse, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.

"Brother…" he warned.

Mustang stared at his subordinate in the eye. "Yes, your recent encounter with this group will prove valuable for this mission. However, as I said, you have never done a covert mission like this before _and_ the military requested two state alchemists. So like it or not, we will be working together."

Ed scowled, but didn't press the matter further.

_'Three weeks ago? What had happened three weeks ago?'_

Reed had no idea what event Ed and Mustang were referencing. All he knew was that the Fullmetal Alchemist had been hospitalized for some time. Could it be that Ed's encounter with the White Wolves was the cause for his hospitalization?

Mustang moved on. "Lieutenant Reed, your work during the Parktown Incident was admirable. Therefore you have been assigned to this mission."

Reed stiffened. He had been hoping the military would forget about the Parktown Incident. Yet here he was two months later being sent on his "first" covert mission.

This wasn't going to end well.

"Again, the military has very little information on the White Wolves. It is estimated that the group consists of roughly 200 people and there are also rumors of a few alchemists being among their midst. Our mission is to find out how many people are associated in this group and to analyze their defensive capabilities. This mission requires absolute secrecy. Lieutenant Havoc, Sergeant Fuery, you will be going to Heinsworth."

"Isn't Heinsworth that small military base before Ukon?" Havoc asked.

"Yes. Should the military attack the resistance group, it will be coordinated through that base. Al, if you wish, you can go along with them. Breda and Falman, you will remain in East City. While in three days, Hawkeye, Fullmetal, and Reed; we will meet at the East City train station." Mustang said. He passed Reed and Fullmetal each a folder. "These are your papers, wear civilian clothing when you report."

"Sir," Hawkeye spoke for the first time. "How do we propose we get to Ukon? Surely someone would notice four people suddenly showing up."

"The military has been sending laborers to repair the station. We will be posing as construction workers," Mustang said.

Ed had been flipping through his file when he suddenly froze.

"This says that I will be posing as your apprentice," Ed said bitterly.

Mustang shrugged. "We needed a reasonable excuse why a 13 year old boy would be coming along."

Ed began to mutter something that Reed would never dare say to a commanding officer.

"Another thing, Fullmetal," Mustang said. "You are not to perform alchemy during this mission."

That seemed to be the last straw for Ed.

"You have got to be kidding me! First you make me go on a mission without Al. Then you tag along! And now no alchemy!" Ed complained.

"This is a covert mission. We cannot stand out," Mustang said.

Ed scowled.

"Doesn't mean I'm happy with it."

Mustang seemed to ignore his statement.

"Any further questions or comments?" Mustang asked. They shook their heads. "Alright, that concludes this meeting. You are dismissed."

Reed's head spun as he exited the meeting. Although he would have to admit the plan itself was pretty good, having covert operatives sneak down with construction workers. He couldn't shake the feeling of disaster. The truth was he knew more about the White Wolves resistance group than anyone in that room.

_'This is not going to end well. The military has no idea what we are walking into. Those Wolves are more than just a ragtag group of civilians; the Shadow Alchemist faked his death to join that group. And last time you checked they had an explosives expert as well. We are so screwed'_

For once Reed had to acknowledge that his racing mind was being perfectly reasonable.

* * *

That night after his shift, Reed sat quietly at a slowly emptying café. He was seated on one of the bar stools looking out to the street, sipping his drink and flipping through a newspaper. A young woman walked over to him.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked quietly, gesturing to the seat next to him.

"No," he responded. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"You said this was important?" the woman asked, once they had determined that no one was listening.

"Yes," he said. "I have a new mission."

"What are the specifics?" she asked.

"I have been assigned to an undercover mission to investigate the White Wolves."

The woman choked on her drink.

"What?" she gasped. "When do you leave?"

"Three days from now," he replied.

The woman next to him cursed.

"I really hate this damn country; giving us so little time to prepare." She shook her head. "But enough about that. An undercover mission? What were you thinking? Did you forget about the Parktown incident? At this rate you'll get your cover blown!"

"It's not like I chose this mission."

The woman shook her head again.

"Despite what my superiors say, you are actually very important. Do you know how many of our spies have infiltrated the Amestrian military? Not a lot! And if you get your ass killed, this all falls back on me!"

"I don't need a lecture," he said. "And don't worry about my cover, I've kept it for this long. I'm certain I can keep it for another mission. Just get word back about this case as fast as you can. And be discrete, this is top secret."

"Aren't they all." She took another sip of her drink. "Fine, I'll report back as quickly as I can. Anything else I should know?"

"I'll be working with Colonel Mustang and the Fullmetal Alchemist," he said.

"As if this can't get any worse," she sighed. "Do the Amestrians have any good intel on the resistance group?"

"No. Our orders are to head to Ukon to investigate the train station, find out how many members the resistance group has, and if possible the identity of their leaders."

The woman nodded. "Okay, I'll see if I can get someone to contact you when you reach Ukon. It'll probably be through the usual way."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "Until then just lay low and don't blow your cover."

"You don't have to keep reminding me."

"I'm your handler. I get to remind you as much as I like." She paused. "We had to pull a lot of strings to get one of our operatives in the military, do not screw it up."

Without another word, she turned to leave.

* * *

\- three days later -

Reed was the last to arrive at the train station. He spent all night tossing and turning; his eyes were heavy with fatigue and stress.

Mustang, Hawkeye, and Ed were already seated at a bench near the ticket booth. They were all dressed in civilian clothing.

Reed sat down next to Mustang and propped a book open on his lap.

"We're all here," Mustang whispered, not looking up. "You all remember what to do?"

"We're not as dim as you think," Ed said. He was wearing black gloves to cover his automail and had his hair tucked up into a hat. "This train ride is the easy part."

Mustang ignored him. "We will regroup once we reach Ukon. Until then, try to blend in with the rest of the workers. And remember: no speaking to each other unless absolutely necessary."

The sharp shrill of an approaching train made them look up.

"That's our train. Good luck, everyone," Mustang said. He stood and walked over to the platform, Ed following close behind. Reed continued to look down at the book on his lap, intending to follow after a few moments. He felt something touch his foot.

He looked down.

It was a jacket.

"There's a pocket knife, pistol, and a few rounds inside the jacket." Hawkeye said. "Keep them with you."

"Oh," Reed said. "Thank you."

He had been so worked up over this mission that the thought of weapons hadn't even crossed his mind.

"Don't mention it. Just keep your eyes open and watch out for Ed and the Colonel," she said.

Before Reed could ask her what she meant. She had stood and was boarding the train. Reed waited a few seconds before retrieving the rolled up jacket. He stepped towards the platform and boarded the train as well.

He chose a seat near a window and plopped his book on his lap. Ed was right; the trip down to Ukon would be the easy part. So many things could go wrong once they arrived in Ukon. For all he knew, someone could even recognize him.

He looked out the window as the train pulled away from the station. The city turned into a blur beside him as the train picked up speed. He tried to make out as much of it as he could, cherishing the temporary feeling of peace. For he knew that he might never walk these streets again.

**Author's Note:**

> I only recently made an ao3 account, but have been writing for years on ff.net. As a result, much of this fic is already on ff.net. I will be updating on ao3 on a weekly basis (I am proofreading the chapters again and editing grammatical and other errors. This is greatly time consuming). However use [this link](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12955753/1/The-Unknown-Factor), if you want to read all the way up to Chapter 13.
> 
> Also looking for a beta reader, so please let me know if that interests you


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